John 3:16-21

Acts 5:17-26

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

John 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,

but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,

because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

And this is the verdict,

that the light came into the world,

but people preferred darkness to light,

because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light

and does not come toward the light,

so that his works might not be exposed.

But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,

so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you sent your Son into the world to save it. He is the light who overcomes the darkness of evil, sin, and death. By dying, he destroyed our death. By rising, he established the way to eternal life with you. Grant me a deeper participation in the life, death, and resurrection of your Beloved Son.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Eternal Life: When John writes that those who believe in Jesus have eternal life, this does not mean that if someone makes an act of faith, then they are saved. Salvation is not a once-and-done event. Salvation is an ongoing process with a beginning, a middle, and an end. What Jesus means here is that faith brings about an initial participation in eternal (divine) life. Faith is the beginning of eternal life; charity – union with God – is the end. Faith doesn’t last forever. Faith in God in this earthly life will give way to the vision of God in heaven. As Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 13:12-13: “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present, I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” In heaven, faith in God becomes the vision of God. In heaven, the desire for God and hope in God become the possession and enjoyment of God. In heaven, our imperfect love for God is transformed and brought to perfection.

2. Belief in the Name of the Son of God: Jesus has been speaking to Nicodemus about the cross and faith. While the link between spiritual rebirth and baptism is more explicit, John subtly links baptism with the cross. The last element in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus underscores the importance of faith for coming to eternal life (see Morales, The Bible and Baptism, 96). In the Gospel, Jesus refers to the importance of believing in his name. In fact, believers will be baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Now, the “name of the Lord” has a rich and profound meaning in the Old Testament. One dimension concerns the sacrificial worship of God. A person is encouraged to “call upon the name of the Lord,” and the Temple is designated as the place where the name of the Lord dwells. “These associations between the name and worship, on the one hand, and between the name and baptism, on the other, once again point to worship as an important aspect of baptism” (Morales, The Bible and Baptism, 110). What this teaches us is that Baptism incorporates the believer into the new temple. By calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit comes to dwell in the believer as in a temple (see Morales, The Bible and Baptism, 119).

3. Live the Truth: The Gospel of John is full of stark contrasts: between truth and falsehood, between light and darkness, and between life and death. The Gospel today draws out the connection between light and Baptism. In fact, the early Church referred to the Sacrament as “Illumination.” “Baptism is not simply a new birth but also the enlightening of the mind to know God and so to come to eternal life” (Morales, The Bible and Baptism, 96). Jesus is the light of God and has come into the world. Those who do evil works hate the light of God. They want their evil works to remain hidden. Those who do good works, empowered by God’s grace, have nothing to fear. They live in the truth and the light. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I trust in you as my king, my savior, and my redeemer. You are my Lord and my God. Help me overcome any temptations to envy so that I can focus on loving others and seeking their good.

Living the Word of God: Am I familiar with the Catholic teaching on grace and how it is seen as the beginning of eternal life within us? Are my works of charity meritorious because they are empowered by divine grace? If I have fallen from God’s grace, can I go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to be restored?